Stockholders will also be asked to consider and vote at the Annual Meeting on any other matter that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting. At this time, the Board of Directors is unawarehas direct oversight and responsibility of any matters, other than those set forth above, that may properly come before the Annual Meeting.

What are the Board's voting recommendations?

        The Board recommends that you vote "FOR" the nomineesESG, while our Compensation Committee has direct oversight of the Board in the election of directors, "FOR" the ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm, "FOR" the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers as presented in this proxy statement, and "AGAINST" the stockholder proposal.

What is the difference between holding shares as a stockholder of record and as a beneficial owner?

        If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Broadridge Corporate Issuer Services, you are considered the "stockholder of record" with respectDEI. In fiscal year 2023, we provided quarterly updates to those shares.

        If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, those shares are held in "street name" and you are considered the "beneficial owner" of the shares. As the beneficial owner of those shares, you have the right to direct your broker, bank, or nominee how to vote your shares, and you will receive separate instructions from your broker, bank, or other holder of record describing how to vote your shares.

How can I vote my shares before the Annual Meeting?

If you hold your shares in your own name, you may submit a proxy by telephone, via the Internet, or by mail.

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Submitting a Proxy by Telephone:  You can submit a proxy for your shares by telephone until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 16, 2019, by calling the toll-free telephone number on the enclosed proxy card, 1-800-690-6903. Telephone proxy submission is available 24 hours a day. Easy-to-follow voice prompts allow you to submit a proxy for your shares and confirm that your instructions have been properly recorded. Our telephone proxy submission procedures are designed to authenticate stockholders' identities by using individual control numbers.



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Submitting a Proxy via the Internet:  You can submit a proxy for your shares via the Internet until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 16, 2019, by accessing the website listed on the enclosed proxy card,www.proxyvote.com, and following the instructions you will find on the website. Internet proxy submission is available 24 hours a day. As with telephone proxy submission, you will be given the opportunity to confirm that your instructions have been properly recorded.



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Submitting a Proxy by Mail:  If you choose to submit a proxy for your shares by mail, simply mark the enclosed proxy card, date and sign it, and return it in the postage paid envelope provided.

        By casting your vote in any of the three ways listed above, you are authorizing the individuals listed on the proxy to vote your shares in accordance with your instructions. You may also attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person.

If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker, or other nominee, you will receive instructions from the holder of record that you must follow for your shares to be voted. The availability of telephonic or Internet voting will depend on the bank's, broker's, or other nominee's voting process. Please check with your bank, broker, or other nominee and follow the voting procedures your bank, broker, or other nominee provides to vote your shares. Also, please note that if the holder of record of

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your shares is a bank, broker, or other nominee and you wish to vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you must request a legal proxy from your bank, broker, or other nominee that holds your shares and present that proxy and proof of identification at the Annual Meeting; otherwise, you will not be able to vote in person at the Annual Meeting.

If I am the beneficial owner of shares held in "street name" by my broker, will my broker automatically vote my shares for me?

        New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") rules applicable to brokers grant your broker discretionary authority to vote your shares without receiving your instructions on certain matters. Your broker has discretionary voting authority under NYSE rules to vote your shares on the ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm. However, unless you provide voting instructions to your broker, your broker does not have discretionary authority to vote on the election of directors, the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers, and the vote on the stockholder proposal.Accordingly, it is particularly important that beneficial owners instruct their brokers how they wish to vote their shares.

How will my shares be voted if I give my proxy but do not specify how my shares should be voted?

        If you provide specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with your instructions. If you hold shares in your name and sign and return a proxy card without giving specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted "FOR" the nominees of the Board in the election of directors, "FOR" the ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm, "FOR" the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers, and "AGAINST" the stockholder proposal.

Could other matters be decided at the Annual Meeting?

        At this time, we are unaware of any matters, other than those set forth above, that may properly come before the Annual Meeting. If any other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named in the enclosed proxy, or their duly constituted substitutes acting at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting, will be deemed authorized to vote or otherwise act on such matters in accordance with their judgment.

Who may attend the Annual Meeting?

        All stockholders are invited to attend the Annual Meeting. Persons who are not stockholders may attend only if invited by the Board of Directors. If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in the name of your broker, bank, or other nominee, you must bring proof of ownership (e.g., a current broker's statement) in order to be admitted to the meeting. You can obtain directions to the Annual Meeting by contacting our Investor Relations Department at (717) 975-3710.

Can I vote in person at the Annual Meeting?

        Yes. If you hold shares in your own name as a stockholder of record, you may come to the Annual Meeting and cast your vote at the meeting by properly completing and submitting a ballot. If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in the name of your broker, bank, or other nominee, you must first obtain a legal proxy from your broker, bank, or other nominee giving you the right to vote those shares and submit that proxy along with a properly completed ballot at the meeting; otherwise, you will not be able to vote in person at the Annual Meeting.

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How can I change my vote?

        You may revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised by:

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Delivering to the Secretary a written notice of revocation, dated later than the proxy, before the vote is taken at the Annual Meeting;



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Delivering to the Secretary an executed proxy bearing a later date, before the vote is taken at the Annual Meeting;



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Submitting a proxy on a later date by telephone or via the Internet (only your last telephone or Internet proxy will be counted), before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 16, 2019; or



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Attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person (your attendance at the Annual Meeting, in and of itself, will not revoke the proxy).

        Any written notice of revocation, or later dated proxy, should be delivered to:

Rite Aid Corporation
30 Hunter Lane
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011
Attention: James J. Comitale, Secretary

        Alternatively, you may hand deliver a written revocation notice, or a later dated proxy, to the Secretary at the Annual Meeting before we begin voting.

        If your shares of Rite Aid common stock are held by a bank, broker, or other nominee, you must follow the instructions provided by the bank, broker, or other nominee if you wish to change your vote.

What is an "abstention" and how would it affect the vote?

        An "abstention" occurs when a stockholder sends in a proxy with explicit instructions to decline to vote regarding a particular matter. Abstentions are counted as present for purposes of determining a quorum. An abstention with respect to the election of directors is neither a vote cast "for" a nominee nor a vote cast "against" the nominee and, therefore, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote. Abstentions with respect to the ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, the advisory vote on compensation of our named executive officers, and the vote on the stockholder proposal will have the same effect as voting "against" the proposal.

What is a broker "non-vote" and how would it affect the vote?

        A broker non-vote occurs when a broker or other nominee who holds shares for the beneficial owner is unable to vote those shares for the beneficial owner because the broker or other nominee does not have discretionary voting power for the proposal and has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares. Brokers will have discretionary voting power to vote shares for which no voting instructions have been provided by the beneficial owner only with respect to the ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm. Brokers will not have such discretionary voting power to vote shares with respect to the election of directors, the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers, and the vote on the stockholder proposal. Shares that are the subject of a broker non-vote are included for quorum purposes, but a broker non-vote with respect to a proposal will not be counted as a vote cast and will not be counted as a vote represented at the meeting and entitled to vote and, consequently, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote. Accordingly, it is particularly important that beneficial owners of Rite Aid shares instruct their brokers how to vote their shares.

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What are the quorum and voting requirements for the proposals?

        In deciding the proposals that are scheduled for a vote at the Annual Meeting, each holder of common stock as of the record date is entitled to one vote per share of common stock. In order to take action on the proposals, a quorum, consisting of the holders of 26,914,351 shares (a majority of the aggregate number of shares of Rite Aid common stock) issued and outstanding and entitled to vote as of the record date for the Annual Meeting, must be present in person or by proxy. This is referred to as a "quorum." Proxies marked "Abstain" and broker non-votes will be treated as shares that are present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum.

Proposal No. 1—Election of Directors

        The affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of votes cast is required for the election of each director nominee named in Proposal No. 1. This means that the votes cast "for" that nominee must exceed the votes cast "against" that nominee. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention, broker non-vote or otherwise) will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of the vote. For more information on the operation of our majority voting standard, see the section entitled "Board of Directors—Corporate Governance—Majority Voting Standard and Policy."

Proposal No. 2—Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

        The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented at the meeting and entitled to vote is required for the ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm in Proposal No. 2. Any shares represented and entitled to vote at the meeting and not voted (whether by abstention or otherwise) will have the same effect as a vote "against" the proposal.

Proposal No. 3—Advisory Vote on Compensation of Named Executive Officers

        The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented at the meeting and entitled to vote is required for the approval of the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers in Proposal No. 3. Any shares represented and entitled to vote at the meeting and not voted (whether by abstention or otherwise) will have the same effect as a vote "against" the proposal. Any broker non-votes with respect to the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers will not be counted as shares represented at the meeting and entitled to vote and, consequently, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

Proposal No. 4—Stockholder Proposal

        The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented at the meeting and entitled to vote is required for the approval of the stockholder proposal in Proposal No. 4. Any shares represented and entitled to vote at the meeting and not voted (whether by abstention or otherwise) will have the same effect as a vote "against" the stockholder proposal. Any broker non-votes with respect to the stockholder proposal will not be counted as shares represented at the meeting and entitled to vote and, consequently, will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

What happens if a quorum is not present at the Annual Meeting?

        If the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting are not sufficient to constitute a quorum, the stockholders by a vote of the holders of a majority of votes present in person or represented by proxy (which may be voted by the proxyholders) may, without further notice to any stockholder (unless a new record date is set), adjourn the meeting to a different time and place to permit further solicitations of proxies sufficient to constitute a quorum.

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Who will count the votes?

        Representatives of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will tabulate the votes and act as inspectors of election.

Who will conduct the proxy solicitation and how much will it cost?

        We are soliciting proxies from stockholders on behalf of our Board and will pay for all costs incurred by it in connection with the solicitation. In addition to solicitation by mail, the directors, officers and associates of Rite Aid and its subsidiaries may solicit proxies from stockholders of Rite Aid in person or by telephone, facsimile, or email without additional compensation other than reimbursement for their actual expenses.

        We have retained Morrow Sodali, LLC, a proxy solicitation firm, to assist us in the solicitation of proxies for the Annual Meeting. Rite Aid will pay Morrow Sodali a fee of approximately $20,000, plus reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.

        Arrangements also will be made with brokerage firms and other custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries for the forwarding of solicitation material to the beneficial owners of stock held of record by such persons, and we will reimburse such custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the forwarding of solicitation materials to the beneficial owners of our stock.

If you have any questions about voting your shares or attending the Annual Meeting, please call our Investor Relations Department at (717) 975-3710.

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STOCKHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, MANAGEMENT TRANSITION, AND BOARD REFRESHMENT

        Since the termination of the Albertsons transaction in August 2018 and following the 2018 Annual Meeting, we have engaged in enhanced stockholder outreach efforts. These efforts provided an opportunity for independent directors to hear from stockholders directly regarding their perspectives and concerns. In addition, management has communicated with many retail stockholders and received their feedback. We greatly value the insightful input about the Company that our stockholders have provided in these and other exchanges over the past ten months. The feedback from these efforts has been summarized, shared, and considered by the Nominating and Governance Committee on our ESG reporting, strategy, risk and the full Board.

        Investors raised a number of concernsopportunity, compliance and the Board has taken significant steps to address these items. Specifically, the principal issues raised by our stockholders related to: (1) Board refreshment, (2) an evaluation of management, (3) corporate governance matters, and (4) the Company's sustainability efforts.

New Board Leadership and Composition

        In the course of our stockholder engagement meetings over the past ten months, stockholders expressed concerns regarding the lack of Board refreshment in recent years, as well as concerns regarding our Board governance. The Board reviewed its structure in light of the Company's current operating and governance environment and, effective at the 2018 Annual Meeting, Mr. Standley was succeeded as Chairman of the Board by Bruce G. Bodaken. Subsequently, in December 2018, the Board amended the Company's By-Laws to provide that the Chairman of the Board shall be a director who is independent under the NYSE listing standards and the Company's Corporate Governance Guidelines.

        The Board has significantly accelerated its efforts to change the composition of the Board. As part of this process, at the 2018 Annual Meeting, three of the eight independent directors did not stand for reelection and the Board nominated three new independent directors. As a continuation of this process, two new directors were appointed by the Board following the resignation of two of our directors in April 2019. The five directors who have joined the Board over the past eight months will continue to bring fresh perspectives to the Board. In addition, Mr. Standley has not been nominated for reelection at the Annual Meeting.

        As a result of these changes in the Board's composition, the average tenure of our independent directors has decreased from approximately eight years prior to the 2018 Annual Meeting to approximately four years, with a relatively even distribution among new directors and directors of longer tenure. Through the Board refreshment process, the Board has increased the racial and ethnic diversity on the Board, with half of the Board being racially and ethnically diverse following the Annual Meeting. The Board also made gender diversity a priority as part of its most recent phase of its refreshment, resulting in more than one-third of our Board being women following the Annual Meeting.

Management Transition

        One of the Board's most important tasks is choosing the Company's Chief Executive Officer. Following the 2018 Annual Meeting, the Board continued to engage in rigorous and thoughtful evaluation and discussion regarding the Chief Executive Officer and other management positions. In March 2019, the Company announced a leadership transition and organizational restructuring to better align its structure with the Company's operations and to reduce costs. As part of the leadership transition, the Company announced that the Board would be commencing a search process for a new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Standley will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Company until the appointment of his successor but has not been nominated for reelection to the Board at the